Curling up with Jenny

Behlings says curling fun, easy to learn

Jason Ferguson

Published: Thursday, January 31st, 2013

Jenny Behlings prepares to slide her “rock” or “stone” down the ice during a recent curling match in Rapid City. Behlings picked up the sport four years ago with her sister and has played it every winter since.

Four years ago, Jenny Behlings was introduced to the sport of curling, albeit involuntarily.

Her sister, Joann Stearns, had been in Rapid City, where she and her husband, Dan, saw a billboard advertising an open house to learn the sport. The Stearnses had watched curling during the Winter Olympics and decided to give it a try. After attending the open house, they signed up. Behlings soon learned she was signed up too.

“She came home and called me and said, ‘You’re signed up,’” Behlings said.âï¿½ï¿½“I ended up being the guinea pig.”

It’s an experiment that Behlings ended up loving being part of.

Now, every Saturday afternoon from just after Christmas into the spring, Behlings, Stearns and their two other teammates can be found at Roosevelt Ice Arena in Rapid City, shoving 42-pound “rocks” down the ice, sweeping the ice with their brooms and trying to outscore the other seven teams in their Rushmore Curling Club league.

“It’s very fun,”âï¿½ï¿½Behlings said.âï¿½ï¿½“We’re probably some of the younger players. Most of the players are middle-aged men. It’s a low impact workout—unless you fall, then it’s high impact!”

Each person gets to throw two stones during a match, with eight stones per end and a total of 16 stones per game. While one person is gliding the stones down the ice, two sweepers work to help get the stones where the team wants it, while the “skip” calls out when to sweep and helps direct the stones.

Four years ago, Jenny Behlings was introduced to the sport of curling, albeit involuntarily.

Her sister, Joann Stearns, had been in Rapid City, where she and her husband, Dan, saw a billboard advertising an open house to learn the sport. The Stearnses had watched curling during the Winter Olympics and decided to give it a try. After attending the open house, they signed up. Behlings soon learned she was signed up too.

“She came home and called me and said, ‘You’re signed up,’” Behlings said.âï¿½ï¿½“I ended up being the guinea pig.”

It’s an experiment that Behlings ended up loving being part of.

Now, every Saturday afternoon from just after Christmas into the spring, Behlings, Stearns and their two other teammates can be found at Roosevelt Ice Arena in Rapid City, shoving 42-pound “rocks” down the ice, sweeping the ice with their brooms and trying to outscore the other seven teams in their Rushmore Curling Club league.

“It’s very fun,”âï¿½ï¿½Behlings said.âï¿½ï¿½“We’re probably some of the younger players. Most of the players are middle-aged men. It’s a low impact workout—unless you fall, then it’s high impact!”

Each person gets to throw two stones during a match, with eight stones per end and a total of 16 stones per game. While one person is gliding the stones down the ice, two sweepers work to help get the stones where the team wants it, while the “skip” calls out when to sweep and helps direct the stones.

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